Canidae vs. Merrick

In this comparison article for Canidae vs Merrick, we'll
highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly
compare Canidae and Merrick, we'll use up-to-date nutritional
and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet.
Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history,
and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Merrick vs Canidae comparison, we've utilized
average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews,
visit our Canidae Review Page or
Merrick Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Merrick vs. Canidae

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide
a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis
must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude
protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude
fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a
dry matter basis.

Canidae Dog Food vs. Merrick Dog Food

Dry Dog Food

Canidae

Merrick

Crude Protein

30.5%

37.3%

Crude Fat

15.1%

16.7%

Crude Fiber

4.7%

4.3%

Wet/Canned Dog Food

Canidae

Merrick

Crude Protein

41.0%

43.7%

Crude Fat

25.1%

20.3%

Crude Fiber

6.7%

8.6%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

The table shows that Canidae provides far less protein than Merrick. The difference in protein content is roughly 6.73%. For wet dog foods, Merrick typically provides a little more protein (about 2.64% more).

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

As you can see, Canidae and Merrick guarantee a similar amount of crude fat. For wet dog foods, Canidae provides more fat (about 4.81% more).

Merrick and Canidae both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Canidae also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Canidae Cat Food vs. Merrick Cat Food

Dry Cat Food

Canidae

Merrick

Crude Protein

36.7%

42.2%

Crude Fat

19.0%

15.8%

Crude Fiber

3.9%

5.1%

Wet/Canned Cat Food

Canidae

Merrick

Crude Protein

46.6%

46.5%

Crude Fat

28.1%

21.6%

Crude Fiber

7.6%

5.9%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

Help transport nutrients across cell membranes

Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation

Maintain healthy blood pressure

Slow the growth of yeast infections

Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

If you look at the average percentages of crude fat, you'll notice that Canidae typically guarantees 3.17% more fat. This is a fairly small difference between Canidae and Merrick, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Canidae wet cat foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Canidae and Merrick also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Canidae Pet Food Ingredients vs. Merrick Pet Food Ingredients

Canidae and Merrick both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Canola Oil

Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.

Pea Protein

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Canidae.

White Rice

White rice is produced by removing the husk, germ, and bran of rice grains. Unlike brown rice which contains the bran and germ, white rice is nutritionally empty.

Garlic Powder

Garlic powder in very small quantities can be an acceptable addition, however, garlic can also be toxic. Therefore many pet owners choose to completely avoid garlic.

Tomato Pomace

Tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Merrick.

Garlic

Garlic in very small quantities can be an acceptable addition, however, garlic can also be toxic. Therefore many pet owners choose to completely avoid garlic.

Caramel Color

Caramel color is a concentrated form of caramel, a natural food colorant. Caramel color has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Since our pets do not care about food color, caramel color is an unnecessary addition with possible health risks.

Meaty Femur Bone

Meaty femur bone is controversial because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous meats and ingredients derived from them are typically very low quality and may contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!

Powdered Cellulose

Powdered cellulose is produced from minuscule pieces of wood pulp and plant fibers. Other than its fiber content, powdered cellulose lacks any nutritional contribution.

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health
affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Canidae.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each
brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates
the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Canidae or Merrick,
input your pet's weight into our cost
analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands.
However, the actual price that you'll pay for Canidae or Merrick will depend on your shopping habits.

Cost Analyzer Widget For Canidae & Merrick

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Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Canidae
and Merrick. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.